Markup View

Author: JonnyB

Jun 27th 2011 at 11:13:17 PM

@terrafox: "Can someone tell me how self-propelled space-mines with homing capability are functionally different from missiles?"

Physically, they may not be. The difference semantically though would be that a missile is usually intentionally fired from one ship toward another, with the intent of hitting a specific target. A mine is usually dropped and left behind in a particular location, and whether it just sits there until proximity sets it off or whether it is self-propelled and homes in on something, it's intended target is not specified. Often minefields are more of a psychological barrier than anything else.

The rest of your post is largely FridgeLogic, lol. Good points though; I'm thinking there should probably be a FridgeLogic page for this trope, as that's going to be often.

The BattlestarGalactica reference above subverted your point #1, though... in the story, there was a narrow passage through a [[SpaceClouds dense nebula]] that allowed safe passage, and that was where the Cylons laid the mines. The nebula interfered with the Galactica's sensors so they had to send two Vipers ahead to visually spot and destroy them ahead of the fleet.

The Romulans and Klingons also cloaked their mines to subvert your point #2.